Brushing With Braces

How should I clean my teeth and my brace?
You must clean your teeth and your brace very carefully and thoroughly, removing any food particles, which become lodged in the wires and around the brackets;
You must brush every tooth, every surface, tongue and gums.

When should I brush my teeth?
Every day, 3 times as a minimum: after breakfast, after lunch, after dinner just before bed;
More than 3 times if you have snacks during the day between meals (which should be avoided). If you have snacks between meals you have to brush your teeth immediately after.

Use a manual medium toothbrush (not soft bristles unless you suffer from significant gum recession); – Brush from the back to the front teeth, every dental surface, in front of a mirror. – Brush your teeth slowly and correctly, at least for 3 minutes; – Don’t brush too hard to avoid gum recession; – Brush with firm pressure at a 45 degree angle to the tooth; – Brush in small circles above and below the brackets; – Brush also your tongue and gums; Use interdental toothbrushes (IB), the normal tooth brush cannot reach all the harmful bacteria and food caught. IB have a smaller head to reach into all the places between your teeth; – Braces are hard on your toothbrush. This will wear out faster because of the metal components. Make sure you replace this when the bristles start to fray. Usually every 3 months.

Toothpaste : You can find different types: herbal, fluoride, sensitivity, whitening, tartar control,… – We recommend the use of different tooth pastes.

Mouthwash : We recommend a mouthwash without alcohol, such as ‘Corsodyl Daily’, however, you can also use others such as ‘Listerine’. Rinse after brushing before bed, for 30 seconds and in the morning after breakfast and no drink or food to be consumed for 1 hour.

Dental floss : Use dental floss, if possible with fluoride. Disclosing tablets – Weekly, if you wish a better control of your own brushing, you can suck a disclosing tablet and run your tongue around your teeth to coat them with the dye, then spit it out. You can see the plaque (stained blue or red) and is visible if you missed any areas.